Mackie Onyx 820i Driver For Mac
by Steve Cunningham
The Universal driver will support any mixer in the onyx-i Series. The review is based on the 820i but the system requirements say it will work with 1220i, 1620i or 1640i. The 1640i is a 16 channel, four-bus mixer that is big enough for a lot of bands to gig with. In a pinch, and if i submix the keys, i can even make it work for my 10-piece. After installing the Mackie Universal Audio Driver, I first checked the Onyx 820i using Logic Pro 9 running on a Mac. Routing from the mixer using the clearly marked front‑panel Firewire buttons proved very simple, and within moments I had some existing recordings playing back via the monitor section of the Onyx. Hear The Difference. Combining high-resolution 24-bit/192kHz converters with premium Mackie analog circuitry and Built-Like-A-Tank™ hardware design, the bus-powered Onyx Series USB Audio Interfaces give you the power to capture your best performance and experience media with pristine fidelity at home or on the go. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Mackie Onyx 820i 8-channel Premium FireWire Recording Mixer at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
As anyone who’s been around the audio business for more than twenty minutes knows, Mackie has been making some very cool small mixers for a very long time. After all, the original Mackie 1604 is the stuff of legends. The company’s Onyx series of mixers has recently distinguished itself by including a FireWire audio interface on every model, allowing the analog boards to be connected directly to a computer. These particular mixers, referred to as the Onyx-i series, include models with up to 16 input channels and four busses.
This month will look at the latest in the Onyx series: the 820i. This is a terminally cute eight input analog mixer which provides a generous list of features in a form designed to take up minimum real estate on your desktop. However, there’s an added twist to this little mixer’s story, one which particularly piqued my interest. The Mackie 820i mixer is now ProTools compatible, as are its larger siblings.
While these boards have been compatible with other PC and Mac audio editing software for awhile, courtesy of ASIO and Core Audio drivers, the fact that they’re now ProTools M-Powered compatible has surprised a lot of people (possibly including Digidesign itself). At the time of this writing, I’ve not been able to discover whether Mackie was given the necessary driver code by Digidesign, or if they just whumped up their own driver. Either way, it would appear to be a win-win for the end-user.
INSIDE THE CARTON
The Onyx 820i is first and foremost an eight-channel in, stereo out analog mixer, equipped with both mono mic/line channels and stereo line-in channels. The attractive aluminum chassis seems sturdy enough and the little board feels quite substantial, no doubt in part due to Mackie’s use of an internal power supply instead of the customary wall wart one might expect on a mixer of this size. A set of serious rubber feet on the underside of the case, along with the nearly 10 pound heft of the mixer, helped keep it firmly planted in place on my desktop.
The plastic knobs will feel familiar to anyone who has used a Mackie before -- a light touch and just a little wiggle, but smooth nevertheless.
Mackie Onyx 1220i Mixer
All the input connectors are on the top surface of the board, while the output connectors, FireWire connectors, and AC connector with power switch are located on the back panel. A rackmount kit is available separately as an option.
Channels one and two are mono and include XLR mic inputs, 1/4” line inputs that accept either balanced or unbalanced signals, and an insert on each. Channel 3/4 can function as either a mono mic channel or a stereo line-in channel. Channels 5/6 and 7/8 are stereo line in only and are identical, except for the fact that you can assign the stereo FireWire outputs from your computer directly to Channel 7/8 using a button next to the EQ for 7/8.
SIGNAL PATH
All input channels come with trim controls. For the inputs with mic preamps, these range from -20 dB to +40 dB, more than enough gain for all but perhaps a ribbon microphones. The two line only inputs feature a total of 40 dB of gain, arranged as 20 dB of cut and 20 dB of boost. The three mic channels also have individual 48 V phantom power buttons, important if you want to use both ribbon microphones and condenser microphones at the same time. These three channels also have low-cut filter buttons, each of which engages a high pass filter at 75 Hz within 18 dB per octave slope. Input selector buttons on channels one and two are used to activate a high impedance option for guitars, while the input selector button on channels 3/4 selects between +4 dB and -10 dB input levels.
Next in line is the EQ section which features Mackie’s “Perkins EQ.” Named after the Mackie engineer who developed the circuitry, Mackie claims that this design was inspired by “British” equalizers and trades boost/cut capabilities for an extra 6 dB of control, giving 15 dB of boost and cut. I don’t know about all that, but the EQ does sound good. The two mono channels feature a three band EQ with a sweepable midrange from 100 Hz to 8 kHz. Channel 3/4 gets the standard Mackie eight bus EQ, with four fixed bands at 12 kHz, 2.5 kHz, 400 Hz, and 80 Hz. Channels 5/6 and 7/8 get three bands of fixed EQ, forgoing the 400 Hz band.
At the top of each EQ section is a handy button labeled Send. This is a thoughtful feature that allows you to send your audio from the Onyx into your computer either pre- or post-EQ. In the pre-EQ position, all of the EQ circuitry is removed from the signal path entirely. As nice as it is to have analog EQ (and a Perkins EQ at that), it is good to be able to remove it when you feel like it.
Each channel also features two AUX sends, which can be set to pre- or post-fader via switches in the Master section. However, the switches control all sends simultaneously. Finally, each channel has a pan pot, a solo button and a mute button, and level control on a knob. With this size mixer, one does not expect to get proper faders.
Nor does one expect to get extensive metering capabilities. On the Onyx 820i, a green LED near the level knob begins to flicker when the input signal (which is tapped after the trim control) exceeds -20 dB. A red “OL” LED (which taps the signal post EQ) indicates signal overload. These two LEDs have been stock on Mackie consoles going all the way back to the 1604, and while some may find them insufficient, I’m used to ‘em and they work for me.
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In many ways, the Onyx 820i is exactly what you'd expect from a Firewire Mackie mixer, except for one thing: it's Pro Tools compatible.
Mackie's Onyx Firewire mixer line has just gained a smaller sibling in the form of the 820i. However, the mixer itself is by no means the entire news here, as Mackie have taken the unprecedented step of writing their own software driver to allow their Onyx i-series range to work with Pro Tools M‑Powered software (which you must purchase separately). The i-series is also compatible with all the previously supported DAWs on both Mac and PC platforms.
Apparently, this was a unilateral move on Mackie's part, so rather than being given the necessary driver code by Digidesign, they're written their own. It's too early to say how Digidesign feel about this. Although it may result in the loss of some M‑Box sales, on the other hand it must surely help sell more copies of Pro Tools M‑Powered, which will, in turn, see even more young engineers being brought up with a familiarity with Pro Tools that they can carry over into their professional careers.
Meet The Mixer
The first thing that struck me when getting the Onyx out of the box was how rugged and substantial it seemed for such a small mixer. It also features an internal power supply rather than the annoying adaptors that come with most small mixers these days.
The Onyx 820i follows the format of its larger cousins in offering both mono mic/line channels and stereo line‑only channels, along with one channel that can either function as a mono mic channel or a stereo line channel (3/4 in this case). Channels 1 and 2 are the dedicated mono channels and also benefit from insert points. Channels 5/6 and 7/8 are stereo line only, but they can also be used as though they were mono by only connecting to the left channel.
All the channels have variable input-gain trims and, unusually for a mixer of this size, all three channels with mic inputs have individual 48 Volt phantom power buttons, which is important if you want to use a mix of capacitor mics and ribbon mics, the latter not being appreciative of phantom power. These same channels also have low‑cut filter buttons, and channels 1 and 2 also have a switched high‑Z option on the line input, for the direct connection of guitars. Channel 3 has a +4/‑10dB sensitivity switch. Two LEDs are fitted to each channel to show ‑20dB and overload signal levels.
There are no surprises in the EQ section, which follows the established Onyx formula. The dedicated mono channels have a three‑band arrangement with a sweepable mid (100Hz to 8kHz), channel 3/4 has two fixed-frequency mids (400Hz and 2.5kHz) and the stereo line channels have a straightforward three‑band EQ with the mid frequency fixed at 2.5KHz. In all cases, the high‑ and low‑shelving EQs are set at 80Hz and 12kHz and the gain range on all the EQ sections is +/‑15dB.
The rear of the Onyx 820i is home to the unit's two Firewire sockets, XLR duplicates of the main outputs and the Control Room and Alt outputs.Each channel also features two aux sends, either of which can be switched to pre‑fader or post‑fader on a global basis, via a pair of switches in the master section. All the channels have a pan control, which functions as a balance control for the stereo channels, and all the channel faders are on rotary controls rather than on sliders.
Mute and solo buttons are fitted to every channel, and the mute buttons can actually route the signal directly to an additional pair of output buses, enabling the Onyx to double up as a four-bus mixer if required. This route‑or‑mute option is an old Mackie trick designed to get the maximum usage out of a fixed number of buttons, and is a very welcome and practical addition.
At the rear of the unit are jacks for the Alt outputs, along with the Control Room out sockets, the Firewire connectors and the two XLR main outputs.
On a mixer this small, the master section is almost as large as the channel section. It includes two jacks for the aux sends, four for the two stereo aux returns and two more for the master outputs (which are also available as XLRs on the rear panel). These are all TRS sockets, wired for balanced or unbalanced operation. Additionally, two pairs of RCA Phonos (unbalanced) handle the Tape In and Out connections for two‑track recording and playback using any suitable external device. Separate level controls are provided for the main and headphone outputs, the phones connection being a stereo TRS socket.
Along with all this, the 820i also includes some fairly sophisticated routing options, allowing you to monitor different sources and set up foldback mixes. There's also a talkback mic with routing to the phones or Aux 1/2. This mic has its own level control and non‑latching Talk button. A rotary master fader and set of 12‑segment meters with flashing 'Rude Solo' LED completes the complement of controls.
Mackie Onyx 820i Driver For Mac Os
Opening DAWs
Despite its size, Mackie have managed to squeeze a lot of controls onto the Onyx's 365 x 230mm front panel.
After installing the Mackie Universal Audio Driver, I first checked the Onyx 820i using Logic Pro 9 running on a Mac. Routing from the mixer using the clearly marked front‑panel Firewire buttons proved very simple, and within moments I had some existing recordings playing back via the monitor section of the Onyx. I made some new recordings using the Onyx input channels, and again, no problems were encountered. The audio quality of the Onyx is everything we've come to expect from this mixer range, with a particularly musical EQ section and a transparent-sounding mic preamp that adds just a hint of flattery.
My initial experience with Pro Tools M‑Powered was a little fraught, as I had trouble getting Pro Tools to install on my system. It turned out that some odd Pro Tools files had been left there from an earlier M‑Box‑related adventure and the uninstaller hadn't removed them all, so I had to locate them and evict them by hand, after which Pro Tools M‑Powered 8 installed fine. This version of Pro Tools ran perfectly with my own M‑Audio Profire 2626 interface, but when I disconnected this and instead connected the Onyx, Pro Tools insisted there was no compatible hardware. A call to Mackie revealed that the Onyx 'looks like' a Profire 2626 as far as Pro Tools is concerned, so there was a conflict between the Onyx driver and my existing Profire 2626 software. I must stress, however, that this review system was an early version and Mackie are hoping to solve that problem before the official release date or, at worst, shortly afterwards. To continue testing the current version, I uninstalled my Profire 2626 software and Pro Tools loaded up without a hitch.
Once a new session has been set up in Pro Tools, it is necessary to go to the Setup / I/O page and click 'default' for the inputs and outputs, so that the software can access the eight Onyx inputs and two Onyx outputs. There's no hardware setup control panel for the Onyx, so sample rate and buffer size have to be set in the menu that appears when you create a new session. Once I'd completed these steps, the Onyx worked with Pro Tools M‑Powered just as it would with any other DAW software, so it would appear that the Mackie driver does exactly as claimed.
Conclusion
Mackie's Current i‑series mixers offer all the benefits of a traditional Mackie Onyx hardware mixer, while also being able to function as a multi-channel audio interface. The addition of Pro Tools M‑Powered compatibility is obviously a big step for Mackie, although at this point I'm not privy to Avid's thoughts on the situation. Mackie plan to make their Universal driver available as a download, and it will be compatible with any Onyx i‑series mixer but not with previous Onyx Firewire models. If all goes to plan, the Universal driver could be beneficial to both Mackie and Digidesign, but most importantly, it will benefit the end user who prefers to work with a mixer but also needs to run Pro Tools.
Alternatives
Mackie are the first third‑party company to offer Pro Tools compatibility, so currently the only other alternative is to buy qualifying M‑Audio hardware. However, there are other Firewire mixers on the market for around the same price, such as the Phonic Helix and the Alesis Multimix.
Firewire Routing
The Onyx range's raison d'être has always been Firewire, and the 820i offers particularly versatile interfacing options. Two Firewire 400 ports are provided on the rear of the mixer to allow daisy‑chaining, and once the driver software has been installed, the mixer shows up as an audio interface within your DAW software. The mixer sends several different signals along the Firewire cable to the DAW, specifically the individual channel signals (pre‑fader and switchable pre‑ or post‑EQ) and the stereo mix, though you can opt to send Aux 1 and Aux 2 in place of channel 5/6 if preferred.
Essentially, up to six independent sources may be routed to the DAW via Firewire, in addition to the stereo mix. Although the manual states that it is possible to modify the mixer circuit board to send the Firewire signals post‑fader, I couldn't find any detailed instructions on how to do this. Perilous warp crack torrent. In general though, the default pre‑fader configuration makes more sense, as it allows you to adjust the monitor mix without affecting the levels being sent to the DAW. If you need to adjust these further, you can still use the channel input-gain trims.
Mackie Onyx 820i Driver For Macbook Pro
Pros
- Traditional Mackie Onyx quality.
- Robust Firewire interface.
- Allows Pro Tools M‑Powered users to work with the Onyx i‑series range.
Cons
- Currently there is a conflict with the M‑Audio 2626 interface driver, though Mackie are trying to resolve this before the product ships.
Summary
The ability to work with ProTools M‑Powered will be welcomed by many users. In other respects, the 820i comes as highly recommended as the existing larger Onyx i‑series mixers.
information
£599 including VAT.Loud Technologies +44 (0)1494 557398,
$649.99.Loud Technologies +1 425 892 6500.
Test Spec
- Mac Pro dual 2.8GHz Quad Intel with 10GB RAM and Mac OS 10.5.7.
- Pro Tools M‑Powered 8.0.